I have roots!

16 years ago

Yippee!

I was afraid I lost my touch.. havent tried to root anything for 2 years. I am so excited!! I forgot how much fun this can be (and taking a break helped a lot too.. I had over 100 rooted plants the first year I caught on to how to root roses).. Finally I have given most of them away or planted them, or killed them.

So I guess it is time to start over.

For those of you who might have questions about how I root roses, I do the following:

Prepare the cutting as you can find on many prop. websites, score the cutting, dip it in 5x strength dip 'n' grow liquid. I have made a sandbox .. this year is mostly sand.. and it dries out fairly quickly.. my first year it had sand and peat mixed. Anyhow, in wet sand, I stick in the cuttings ( about 4-6 in a group close together ), water them in so the sand is firmly around the cutting, and cover the bunch with the largest clear SOLO plastic cups I can find at Costco. (for the greenhouse effect). I then water the sandbox regularly (or try to), watering around the cups and all. If the sand inside the cups looks dry or the leaves are all falling off (common for me) I lift the cup, take out the leaves and water the cuttings directly, place the cup back over.

Key: leave them alone. Other than watering, forget about them for at least (AL LEAST 3 weeks) if it is something you really want to give a good chance of rooting, shoot for 6 weeks. Then gently dig up and look for roots. The great thing about the sand is that it will stay between the roots and give them support when I am digging up the clump of cuttings. (I scoop down wide and deep around the cuttings to try to avoid all roots if possible).

Marleah

Comments (2)

aliska12000
16 years ago
If the sand works for you, go for it. I'm trying another year with peat/pearlite and let it wick up the water (will dampen it first, of course), but I like the way you prepare your cuttings and am tired of the powder. I do like using plastic cups w/2 holes like Michelle, I sink them in the ground, then I can lift them up and see if anything is happening without disturbing anything. Where do you get your 5x dip 'n grow? I think I will try scoring though and sinking my cuttings deeper than I was to get two rather than one nodes in the medium, leave only the top leaf set.

I'm still sticking with the plastic bottles only switching to green. I'm also toying with the idea of leaving the caps off so they get more ventilation. I did that with some seeds I started, and the bottles stayed just as moist inside as with the caps on.

I don't drink anything in green bottles, so I'm going to have to "buy back" some at the store lol. Last year I ran out of pepsi bottles, so had to buy a few.

I'm also experimenting with an aquarium bubbler but think things would be going better if I used some root stimulant, didn't know what to use to try rooting in water. Sitting on north window ledge, two long cuttings, longer than I could get with the few I've managed to root, some leaves drying, none have fallen off, lots of new top growth. Been about 2-1/2 to 3 weeks now. It's two junk pieces of Dr. Huey just to see if anything will happen.
mmmgonzo
Original Author
16 years ago
Interesting about using the bubbler. That is one thing I have never even comtemplated trying. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

You buy the dip and grow concentrate and can dilute it to whatever strength you want. (they give you a container marked with various dilutions). I chose 5x just because.

I think I have better luck using it than powder. If you get too much powder you end up with all callous and no roots. I didn't have that problem this go round. Either they rooted, or rotted/died. Only 2 out of about 14 cuttings had big callouses with no roots. I popped those back in but who knows what will happen.

Do you think Green plastic works better than clear? My cups I use are clear, but they are in a very filtered spot.

Marleah
Related Professionals
Roosevelt Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Seabrook Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Severn Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Berkley Landscape Contractors · Framingham Landscape Contractors · Garland Landscape Contractors · Pleasant Grove Landscape Contractors · Thonotosassa Landscape Contractors · Tustin Landscape Contractors · Woodburn Landscape Contractors · Camp Springs Landscape Contractors · Albany Roofing & Gutters · Elgin Roofing & Gutters · Hicksville Roofing & Gutters · Kyle Roofing & Gutters